Straw was lighted
to enable the musketeers and gunners to fire upon them as they
retreated, and the assault cost them five hundred lives.
On the 12th a hard frost set in, and until Christmas a strong gale
from the southeast blew. No succour could reach the town. The
garrison were dwindling fast, and ammunition falling short. It
required fully 4000 men to guard the walls and forts, while but 2500
remained capable of bearing arms. It was known that the archduke
soon intended to make an assault with his whole force, and Vere
knew that he could scarcely hope to repel it. He called a council
of his chief officers, and asked their opinion whether with the
present numbers all parts of the works could be manned in case of
assault, and if not whether it was advisable to withdraw the guards
from all the outlying positions and to hold only the town.
They were unanimously of opinion that the force was too small to
defend the whole, but Sir Horace Vere and Sir John Ogle alone gave
their advice to abandon the outlying forts rather than endanger the
loss of the town. The other officers were of opinion that all the
works should be held, although they acknowledged that the disposable
force was incapable of doing so. Some days elapsed, and Vere
learned that the Spanish preparations were all complete, and that
they were only waiting for a low tide to attack.
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